Residents
and passers-by in Irona area of Ado Local Government Area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti
State were yesterday angered by a discovery of the lifeless body of a day old
baby inside a canal that links the popular Fayose market and Ilawe Road in the
area.

The
discovery drew the ire of sympathetic residents and passers-by who cursed the
‘culprit’ for been heartless, while others prayed for the baby’s soul to rest
in peace. It was gathered that the baby was dropped inside the huge canal at
dawn as traders around the area said they didn’t notice it until early
yesterday morning.

“The
unfortunate baby must have been dropped inside the canal by its assailant very
early this morning because we didn’t notice it yesterday night until we closed
from shop,” a trader, who didn’t want her name in print, said.

Speculating
that any of the sex workers whose brothels are close to the area, might be
responsible for the child’s tragedy, an Okada rider, Mufu Ayeni, said: “That
baby was very unlucky. It had died before the police came to the spot. All
these Ashawo (sex workers) are responsible for committing this kind of
atrocity.

“It
is one of them that would do this. If you examine the baby very well, it was
still smeared with blood which showed that it was dumped inside the canal
immediately after it was delivered. One thing we cannot claim is whether the
baby had died before it was dumped inside the canal or after the deed was done.
But whoever has done this is surely a wicked person,” he said.

Interestingly,
the canal in which the baby was dumped is close to a community, named Okebola,
that has gained notoriety for diverse immoral activities which range from
prostitution, thuggery, idleness and armed robbery among others.

Confirming
the tragic development, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Alberto
Adeyemi, said that the baby’s corpse has been deposited at the state mortuary
while investigation on the matter has started. His words: “This morning reports
came to us that a day old baby was dumped inside a canal in the area and we
swiftly sent a rescue team to the spot.

“Our
men found the baby dead inside the canal and they have evacuated its body and
taken it to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital’s mortuary. We have
also begun investigation into the development,” Adeyemi said.